Call Me A Safe Bet
by symphonies of you
Summary: "But Andromeda shook her head and told her that she was running away for love and freedom, and it sounded like something out of a fairytale." A TALE OF THE THREE BLACK SISTERS, FROM NARCISSA'S POV. - round eleven for qlfc - beater 2.


**FOR**: the quidditch league forum competition - round eleven: _write about either Lily and Petunia Evans or any variation of Bellatrix, Andromeda and Narcissa Black._

**PROMPTS**: nonsense, choke, "you know you shouldn't be in here"

**WORDS**: 2,927. (not counting the word count, a/n, etc.)

* * *

**..**

Once upon a time, there were three beautiful sisters.

Bella was controlling and bossy, Andy was sensible and motherly, and she, Cissy, was the youngest and as delicate as a barely red rose petal.

Her childhood was perfect, possibly the closest that you could get to a fairytale.

But everything changed (drastically) when the time came to go to Hogwarts.

**..**

"Cissy, it's nearly midnight. You should be in bed by now!"

She looked up with wide eyes and a slightly crushed treacle tart grasped tightly in her small hands to see her oldest sister regarding her with a condescending yet exasperated scowl.

"But, Bella, I was just sneaking a bit of the leftover treacle tart!" she pouted, adopting an air of innocence in a futile attempt to soften her ten-year-old sister's rigidity.

"You know you shouldn't be in here. Besides, it isn't _ladylike _or _proper _to be sneaking leftovers that are meant for those dirty elves with your bare hands like a _Mudblood_," Bella sniffed contemptuously.

Cissy frowned. "What's a Mudblood?"

Bella opened her mouth to echo a fevered tirade about dirty non-magical people that their parents had repeatedly drilled into her when Andy entered the kitchen with a furrowed brow.

"Bella, she's only five. Besides, Mother and Father hasn't even given _me _the lecture, and I'm _nine_, so you shouldn't tell her just yet," Andy reasoned.

The oldest sister rolled her eyes. "Fine. But if Mother and Father don't tell her, I shall tell Cissy myself."

Andy dipped her head in agreement before turning to Cissy. "So, what _were _you doing up so late?"

"I was hungry and I didn't want to wake the house elves up," Cissy whispered.

Bella scoffed. "Cissy, house elves are supposed to do whatever we wish. And if you continue eating so much, you'll be the fattest girl in your year when you get to go to Hogwarts."

Cissy's bottom lip began trembling, and Andy gave Bella a pointed look before kneeling down to Cissy's level to look her in the eye.

"Don't listen to Bella, Cissy. The house elves deserve at least one hour off. And you're too skinny to ever become fat, alright?"

Cissy solemnly nodded her head and managed a tiny smile.

**..**

"Narcissa, you will be attending Hogwarts in a few days. And you will address your sisters by Bellatrix and Andromeda instead of those horrid nicknames that you have for each other."

"Yes, Mother."

**..**

She never told a living soul that she, Narcissa Black, was nearly sorted into another House.

(Hufflepuff, at that.)

Oh, she would've died of shame if the Sorting Hat didn't take her wish to be in Slytherin into account!

She was bouncing with excitement as she, with the rest of the first year girls, followed Andromeda, who was a Fifth Year prefect that year, into the Common Room, which was furnished with moonlight draperies, emerald armchairs, and dark walls without a single brick out of place. Narcissa wandered off towards the comfort of the circle of armchairs, where Bellatrix was already seated in the middle of other sixth year girls, easily the most beautiful girl and the unquestionable centre of attention as usual.

They were whispering among themselves – perhaps devising a vengeful plan to get revenge on the ever-so-infuriating Gryffindors – when Bellatrix noticed Narcissa and smirked.

"Girls, this is my youngest sister, Cissy. However, Mother insists that we call her _Narcissa_ now since she's all grown up and at Hogwarts now, so I suppose all of you must as well."

They greeted her quietly, eyeing her with great curiosity like a pack of wolves scrutinizing a lone wolf padding through the snow. Their stares unsettled her, and she could almost feel a blush rising in her ivory cheeks.

That is, if she had the ability to blush. Thank Salazar that she didn't, for she would hate putting on an evening show with her emotions as the entertainment.

"I expect you girls to take care of Narcissa whenever I'm not around," Bellatrix commands, ensnaring her followers with a challenge raised in the elegant arch of her eyebrow.

They smiled and simpered and nodded in agreement, and she marvelled at the effortless control that Bellatrix had over her…_sycophants_. Bellatrix had a sort of fearless yet careful attitude about her, one that was manipulative and supercilious but aloof and guarded as well.

Narcissa only hoped that she could, one day, reign over her subjects like Bellatrix did.

(But, perhaps out of respect rather than fear.)

**..**

It was now her second year at Hogwarts, and everything about Bellatrix now scared Narcissa.

There was never a beautifully cruel smirk absent from her face these days, her lip naturally curled into a sneer, mocking the simple minds of her peers. She never failed to threaten any (Muggle-born) _Mudblood _who passed by, taunting them about the foulness of their blood and their naïve audacity to attend a magical school only meant for those with _pure _blood. She was a restless, implacable spirit after death, hexing and jinxing and haunting them like the darkest shadow of the night.

Narcissa made up her mind to approach Bellatrix about her twisted terrorism, mustering every last bit of courage that composed her fragile body.

"A word, if you don't mind?"

Bellatrix regarded her with an amused smirk before responding. "Sure, little sister. What is it?"

"Why do you treat them so? All of the…Mudbloods?"

The raven-haired witch scoffed, shaking her head at her youngest sister. "Narcissa, do you not understand by now? They're _filth_, and we shouldn't be subjected to their contamination. They don't deserve to know magic; only _we _do. The Dark Lord is going to get rid of all of them; I'm expecting to join his forces after I graduate from this miserable school, and I expect that you and Andromeda will, too."

Narcissa nearly choked at the mention of joining the rising supremacist leader.

_The Dark Lord_.

Her parents had been avidly discussing his radical plans and ideals over the long summer, thrilled that someone was finally taking action to purify magical blood. She could only hope that they wouldn't force her to join his ranks; she was honestly terrified by the idea of being forced to duel and kill innocents that she had gone to school with, strangers she had never known.

She cleared her throat. "But, wouldn't it be better to just ignore the Mudbloods? It's rather pointless starting a riot within the school, isn't it?"

Bellatrix chuckled. "Oh, you naïve girl. They're actually quite _fortunate _that I'm giving them a preview of what's to come after they graduate and won't have the professors to protect them, _Cissy_."

Narcissa felt her lips form a weak smile before she nodded and headed back to the second year girls' dormitory.

She wished with all her heart that Bellatrix wouldn't let her warped logic get her killed.

**..**

It was over the Christmas holidays during her third year when Mother and Father announced that she was betrothed to Lucius Malfoy and that she would marry him once she turned eighteen.

He was charming and handsome and a year older than her but he was almost emotionless, a smooth rock that only glittered in some places under the light.

Even so, she was sure that she'd come to love him with time, if time didn't choose to play sadistic mind games with them.

**..**

Andromeda was sitting by the slow flames dancing in the fireplace with a pensive expression when Narcissa entered the common room.

Andy was, admittedly, her favourite sister. Although she was indifferent and slightly (not overbearingly) haughty in public, she was a unique soul, an unmatched flower blooming amongst roses and orchids. Andy was the only one in the family who still called her Cissy, in an _endearing_ manner, mind you, and she loved her for that. She was gentle and didn't rebuke Narcissa for her questions. She was warm and didn't make her feel awkward and slow. She was understanding and answered her questions with a comforting sort of honesty, an honesty as comforting as a warm, quilted blanket and a cup of hot tea on Christmas Day.

(She wondered if Andy had asked the Sorting Hat to put her in Slytherin, too.)

The blond witch sat down on the arm portion of the arm chair, startling Andy out of her reverie.

"Andy, is there something wrong?"

The brunette looked at Narcissa for the longest time before sighing and indulging in her concern. "Do you ever wonder if we're all wrong and this is all nonsense? That the Muggleborns don't deserve to be persecuted like common slaves and that they're people, too?"

She hesitated before answering. "I reckon they're not as filthy as we make them out to be, but they still _are_. Aren't they?"

Andromeda frowned. "Has our dear sister been telling you things?"

"Well, yes but –"

"Then, you must promise not tell her about the conversation that we're about to have!" Andromeda replied sharply.

"Alright, I promise," she agreed dubiously.

"Cissy, do you know what falling in love feels like? It feels like heaven on earth with silly bursts of happiness and a constant rush of adrenaline. And…I think I have fallen in love."

She gasped and clasped her hands in delight. "Who? Pray tell, who is he?"

Andromeda again made her promise not to utter a single word of the conversation to not only Bellatrix but also to anyone she knew. Narcissa quickly nodded, eagerly awaiting the unveiling of her sister's secret love.

"Ted Tonks."

_Oh Merlin_.

A Hufflepuff boy who was admittedly handsome and hardworking but a _Muggleborn_.

And then, she remembered. "But Andy, you've been engaged to Rabastan ever since you were ten!"

Andromeda blanched for a second, her pale skin stretched white over her marble cheekbones, before regaining her composure. Then she said seven words that Narcissa would never forget.

"It doesn't matter anymore. I'm in love."

**..**

When Mother and Father threatened to disown Andromeda, Narcissa begged her sister not to leave, to stay for her sake.

But Andromeda shook her head and told her that she was running away for love and freedom, and it sounded like something out of a fairytale.

And Narcissa reckoned that if anyone deserved to have a chance at a fairytale, it was Andromeda, even if it didn't have a happy ending.

**..**

Narcissa became a perfect socialite at sixteen with impeccable manners and a dazzling smile. She was a porcelain marionette, staged by the rigid-backed puppeteers of society and drawn tight by the unforgiving strings of her mother and father's pride and approval.

Elegant like a swan in the wild, caged like the last bird of its species.

But she still thought about Andy. She still worried about her.

(She still had a rebel mind of her own.)

**..**

She married Lucius Malfoy on the thirty-first of July in the year 1969, and they joined the Dark Lord's forces soon after.

It wasn't until eleven years later that Draco was born.

And he was the best thing that ever happened to Narcissa Malfoy.

**..**

The Dark Lord vanished from the face of the desolate earth on the Halloween of 1981.

She was truly thankful and she was almost weeping with joy. She wasn't made for war and blood and prejudice. She was made for large sprawling manors, holiday balls, and afternoon tea on a sunny afternoon. Yes, she was a fighter, but she fought with her heart teetering over the edge. She was a fantastic dueller, but she preferred not to spill blood, innocent or guilty. She was loyal but only to her family, first and foremost.

She preferred to stay quiet during Death Eater meetings, and she did everything for her family.

For her, Lucius, and Draco.

She needed to keep them safe, even if it meant supporting the (dark) wrong side of the war.

**..**

When she saw Harry Potter at Platform 9 ¾ for the first time, the first thing that she noticed was that he looked exactly like his father, who was best friends with her estranged cousin.

The second thing that she noticed about the boy was that he lacked a mother's love and caress.

But she immediately cast that silly thought from her mind because who was she to fuss over Harry Potter?

"Narcissa?"

She looked to see Lucius peering at her with an expectant look in his eyes.

(Right, worry about Draco, not The Boy Who Lived.)

She smiled down at her son, who looked so much like his father. "Have a good year, Draco. I expect that you'll get top marks in all of your classes."

He simply nodded with a smirk, which he, no doubt, got from his father, and clambered onto the train that would whisk him away to a magical year.

**..**

The Dark Lord rose again during Draco's fourth year, and he still terrified her.

But she had to stay strong for her family's sake. She couldn't let her porcelain walls tumble down, down, down to the stage. She couldn't let the world see her parts strewn across the stage in broken pieces and ungraceful chaos.

She had to stay strong.

**..**

Narcissa tried not to listen to Bellatrix as she determinedly made her way towards Severus's house in Spinner's End.

"Cissy, you must not do this, you can't trust him –"

"The Dark Lord trusts him, doesn't he?"

Bellatrix was adamant in putting a stopper in Narcissa's visit, and Narcissa couldn't stand it any longer, forcing Bellatrix to let go of her arm with a nonverbal spell.

She knew she was in a right state of panic, an open room vulnerable enough to expose her weaknesses, but she didn't have much time. She rushed ahead of her mistrusting sister and moved through an endless stretch of shabby houses, not pausing for a single breath or second until she finally reached the last house on Spinner's End.

He invited her into his home while Bellatrix stepped in without permission, hooded and silent.

There was much tension in the air.

When Narcissa asked if they were alone, Severus revealed Wormtail's presence, and she wrinkled her nose at the rat-like man's detestable simpering and whining.

After a few moments of ensuring that they were entirely alone, Severus asked her to continue, and she did.

But only to have Bellatrix interrupt too many times.

So, of course, her sister and her son's godfather were entitled to a dramatic showdown, which Severus predictably won. Bellatrix was a hurricane of dark passion and misplaced sanity whereas Severus was a calm storm of intellect and ethos.

When Severus readdressed her call for help, Narcissa couldn't stop the evident anguish from filling her trembling lips.

She begged him. She begged him with all her heart to stop the Dark Lord, to kill Dumbledore instead, to do something.

_To save her son from a certain death_.

She was hysterical and she was sobbing and she was on her knees, clutching at his robes like a common woman. The strings broke, and she fell from the sky and became a broken porcelain marionette.

She was a mother, and she did not wish her son to die an unfair, _early _death.

And then, there was light. Light penetrated her despair, and Severus consented to do everything in his power to help her son.

_Her only son_.

And he sealed his promise with the Unbreakable Vow.

**..**

They were in the Forbidden Forest.

The Dark Lord had murdered Harry Potter a few moments ago, and she wanted to weep for the inevitable darkness that was already settling in the world. And when the tyrannical murderer ordered her to check whether Harry was dead, her heart stopped.

(For the briefest of seconds, but it surely stopped.)

When she stooped down to the boy's level, she noticed that he was indeed breathing, shakily but unquestionably, and she asked him with the softest of whispers whether her son was still alive. When he indicated with a slight nod that Draco was still alive, she exhaled a breath that she didn't realize she was holding.

"Dead."

**..**

Voldemort was finally defeated in the most glorious duel of all time, and she had to (silently) commend the Potter boy for having the audacity and courage to face the darkest wizard of all time.

It was a dawn of new beginnings and inescapable endings. Both sides had their differences, but they were both battered and bruised and glad that the war was finally over.

For there were many lost that day, and among the dead was her oldest sister, Bellatrix.

**..**

She saw Andromeda a few months after the end of the war outside of Flourish and Blotts. It had been thirty-two years since she last saw her, and they stood staring at each other, not knowing how to speak and what to say.

A whirlwind of all the wonderful times she had spent with her sister spun through her mind, rendering her dizzy and speechless and close to crying.

"Long time no see."

Narcissa gulped. "Oh Merlin. Will you ever forgive me, Andy? For not standing up to Mother and Father? And for choosing the wrong side of the war?"

Andromeda smiled through the tears that she was blinking back. "Oh Cissy, you did what you had to do for your family. Of course I'll forgive you."

She would treasure this reunion with all her heart, for this beautiful moment was surely framed in the magnificent hall of all time and history.

**..**

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**A/N: **Please don't favourite without reviewing! =)

- nic.


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